London Firefighters Pause To Remember The Fallen on 9/11 Anniversary

Hundreds will gather at London’s main fire station on Tuesday to pause and remember those who died in the September 11th terrorist attacks 11 years ago.

Ceremonies are planned across North America but aren’t limited to New York, Washington and Pennsylvania, the sites of the 9/11 attacks.

London Firefighters will continue their tradition of honour the fallen when they gather for a special ceremony at 10 a.m. They’ll be joined by city leaders including those from the police and politicans from all levels of government.

Vice-President of the London Professional Firefighters Association Sean Beer says it’s important to take the time to remember those who have made the ultimate sacrifice.

[pullquote align=”left|center|right” textalign=”left|center|right” width=”30%”]In the days following the 9/11 attacks the London community responded by sending help in the form of firefighters but also money[/pullquote]”We take time to reflect on the 343 firefighters that passed away 11 years ago from New York but we also take time to honour those members here from the city of London that have passed and given their life. We have one of our members who just passed this year in 2012, his name will be going up on our memorial and that will bring us up to 22 firefighters here in the city of London that have died in the line of duty.”

In the days following the 9/11 attacks the London community responded by sending help in the form of firefighters but also money. Just shy of $600,000 was raised in London to help those in New York. The total was the largest donation per capita that was donated in the aftermath of the terrorist attacks. London also sent over 40 firefighters over a span of six months that went to New York to assist.

Beer says the day holds special significance to several of his colleagues in particular.

“There was a couple of different groups that went down, at different times right off the bat within about two weeks we had 4 or 5 guys go down that offered to be apart of whatever they could to do their part.”

The ceremony at the Fire Hall on Horton Street begins at 10 a.m.

One of the largest ceremonies in the U.S. will be at Ground Zero but, for the first time, elected officials won’t speak, although they’re still welcome to attend. Moments of silence will be held later at Ground Zero, marking the moments two planes crashed into the Twin Towers.

Another two moments of silence will be observed at the times the two towers collapsed, accounting for the vast majority of 9/11’s victims.

Other ceremonies will be held at the Pentagon, and Shansksville, Pennsylvania, where United flight 93 crashed after passengers attacked the hijackers and overtook the cockpit.

U.S. President Barack Obama and Republican challenger Mitt Romney plan to take down their negative ads today in honour of the 9/11 anniversary.